WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1

Bon Appetit magazine dubbed Chapel Hill one of “America’s Foodiest Small Towns.” See how it earned its reputation while you enjoy the region’s bounty on the farm, in the store, at market, and on your plate! Begin with a visit to farmstead cheesemaker Chapel Hill Creamery where you’ll tour the farm, meet the animals, and learn about the green systems in place from co-owners Portia McKnight and Flo Hawley. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes peek at the milking parlor, make room, and aging rooms and have a chance to sample a variety of their award-winning cheeses. Your next stop will be A Southern Season, described by The New York Time’s Craig Claiborne as “wall to wall and floor to ceiling, a visual and gustatory delight.” This 60,000 sq. ft. landmark market features specialty and local foods, housewares, wine, books, and more – including, of course, a stellar cheese department. You’ll enjoy lunch in their on-site restaurant, have time to browse, and participate in small group Guided Tastings. Last stop will be the Carrboro Farmer’s Market, named one of the country’s “Six Great Markets” by Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine. Run by the farmers it represents, the market is in its 33rd season. You’ll be treated to a guided tour and learn about the market’s history, management, overall operation, and hear vendors share their stories.

Remember that the temperature will be high in August, and you’ll be visiting a working farm and outdoor market – please dress accordingly. For the biosecurity of the animals, please DO NOT wear clothing or shoes previously worn on any other farm. Please DO NOT participate in this tour if you have entered the U.S. from a foreign country within five days prior to the tour. In addition, you may be asked to wear protective booties while visiting some parts of the facility. Full day tour includes: Motorcoach transportation, all tastings and presentations, lunch, and all taxes.

Double your pleasure on this full day tour that combines the joys of beer and cheese. On your bucolic drive out to farmstead goat cheesemaker, Prodigal Farm in Rougemont, North Carolina Brewer’s Guild Executive Director, Win Bassett, will share information about the area and the rise in local craft beer production. When you arrive, Prodigal Farm’s owners Kathryn Spann and Dave Krabbe will introduce you to the goats and share a tour of their 97-acre Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) farm and creamery. You’ll sample their cheeses as Spann and AWA Program Director Andrew Gunther explore the connection between high-welfare, pasture-based farming and high quality cheeses that truly reflect terroir. Then you’ll head off to Durham for lunch at Bull City Burger and Brewery. Patrick Coleff, owner of nearby cheese shop, Reliable Cheese Co., will be on hand to guide you through beer and cheese pairings featuring Bull City brews. Just down the road, you’ll visit Fullsteam Brewery, where you’ll have the opportunity to taste some of their award-winning craft beers paired with great cheeses. Then you’ll board the bus and head back to Raleigh, arriving at Natty Greene’s Pub & Brewing Co. just in time for a beer-and-cheese-pairing “Hoppy Hour”.

Remember that the temperature will be high in August, and you’ll be visiting a working farm – please dress accordingly. For the biosecurity of the animals, please DO NOT wear clothing or shoes previously worn on any other farm. Please DO NOT participate in this tour if you have entered the U.S. from a foreign country within five days prior to the tour. In addition, you may be asked to wear protective booties while visiting some parts of the facility. Full day tour includes: Motorcoach transportation, all tastings and presentations, lunch, and all taxes.

With the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, HACCP-based food safety plans and related pre-requisite programs will become a regulatory requirement. Proactive implementation of a risk reduction program now will better prepare producers for forthcoming regulation. The VIAC Advanced Risk Reduction Practices and Programs course builds upon core knowledge of dairy hygiene, essential good manufacturing and hygiene practices, sanitation standard operating procedures and other pre-requisite programs to help producers improve their operations and achieve food safety by preventing, monitoring and reducing food safety risks in critical areas of food safety before they become regulatory or affect the consumer. The main focal points of this class include the discussion of bacteriostatic and bactericidal control points in the manufacture of cheese, validating and verifying the efficacy of said preventative controls, environmental pathogen control and monitoring as well as raw ingredient and product pathogen testing. Please note, attendance at this workshop will count towards the VIAC certificate program.

*This is the first in a series of food safety risk reduction programs made possible through the cooperation of The Innovation Center for US Dairy, American Cheese Society, and the Vermont Institute of Artisan Cheese.

COMMUNICATING IN A FOOD SAFETY CRISIS: DELIVER THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO THE RIGHT AUDIENCE IN THE RIGHT WAY (Deep Dive)
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $25 per person

Food safety is always a hot topic and knowing how to respond appropriately in an urgent situation is critical! Join panelists from DMI and top PR firm Weber Shandwick as they lead participants through a mock crisis and provide attendees with the experience and tools they need to effectively communicate in a real-life crisis situation. Participants will put the principles of effective communication into practice during a simulated food safety drill. In addition to a tabletop exercise that features a developing scenario, a new social media simulator – FireBell – will allow participants to react and respond to messages being posted in “real-time.”

ACS’s inaugural Certified Cheese Professional™ Exam (CCPE) offers professionals in the cheese industry the opportunity to earn the distinguished title of ACS Certified Cheese Professional™ (ACS CCP™). The exam is open to approved applicants only, and is filled to capacity for 2012. For more information about the 2013 Certified Cheese Professional™ Exam, visit www.cheesesociety.org.

Individuals sitting for the inaugural Certified Cheese Professional™ Exam, as well as those who helped to make the exam a reality, are invited to enjoy a special happy hour to celebrate this historic occasion!

Are you a new member or attending your first ACS conference? Meet fellow ACS members, and learn what to expect from this year’s conference. ACS leaders will be on hand to answer questions, share ways that members can become actively involved in ACS, and network with those in attendance.

In this advanced session, you will learn about regional and international differences in cheddar cheese flavor and take a guided tasting of aged and artisanal cheddars from North America and the UK. All samples will be precut, sealed, and delivered by the North Carolina State University Food Science Department for this sensory practice. Experience firsthand the regional flavor variations and characteristics of cheddars, while the range of flavors associated with feed, milk, make facility, and aging room are discussed. Dr. MaryAnne Drake will touch upon the differences and similarities of flavors between true pasteurized and raw milk cheddars and discuss flavor elements associated with bandage wrap and curing room. Those attending this session will take away an understanding of sensory language and how it is linked to flavor chemistry of place, farm, milk, facility, process, and aging. Ticket required; space is limited.

• CREATING A VISION OF GREATNESS (General Interest)Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

Zingerman’s believes the first step to being successful is to start with a clear vision of what success will look like. A vision is not a strategic plan – rather, it’s a snapshot of the future you prefer. An inspiring document that describes the business – and life – that you want to lead. In this workshop, Ari will share the four characteristics of an effective vision, how to get started on writing your own, or if you’ve already got one, how to figure out if it’s time to write a new one.

Ari Weinzweig’s appearance is made possible by Zingerman’s Community of Businesses.

Building from Temple Grandin’s keynote speech, this session addresses the vital role of veterinary medicine from animals to production to retail. The session explores the relationship between these professionals, farmers, and cheesemakers to meet the needs of animal health, food safety, and quality milk and dairy products. Topics include the elements of a good animal well-being program; assessment and measurement strategies for milk quality and safety for cheese production; and essential sanitation and animal related practices to ensure high quality milk. The connections between animal behavior, husbandry, and humane practices help produce high-quality cows, goats, and sheep, better milk, and outstanding cheese. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to help build and maintain on-farm programs, influence regulatory expectations, and educate the consuming public.

Mark Wustenberg’s appearance is made possible by the Tillamook County Creamery Association.

Cheese makes our business and yet, without proper handling, it can also break a business. Understanding how to effectively handle cheese from the moment it arrives in your shop to the time it enters your customers’ mouths is critical for every retail store owner, manager, and employee. Learn from a panel of seasoned retailers how to appropriately receive, maintain, and manage the cheeses in your shop, including overstock management and knowing when to reach out to cheesemakers for consultation.

President Christine Hyatt and members of the ACS Board of Directors will present the goals, challenges, and achievements for ACS in 2012, as well as strategic initiatives for the organization going forward.

Lunch will be served from 11:45 am – 12:15 pm. The Business Meeting begins promptly at 12:15 pm. Additional theater seating is available for those who arrive late.

The growth and popularity of North Carolina’s wines have been increasing over the past several years, especially with the introduction of the North Carolina Appellations and the wines’ outstanding quality and diversity. Some of the more difficult wines to make are produced in North Carolina, Viognier and Sangiovese are good examples. Not only are they unique to this region, but they are excellent quality and pair well with cheese. Join session hosts Michael Landis and Max Kast as they delight your taste buds and introduce you to the flavors of North Carolina through its cheeses and wines. Ticket required; space is limited.

To many, the artisan cheese industry still feels shiny and new. Yet, the history of cheese extends well beyond recent history and has long been entrenched in the fabric of our culture and others around the world. Any questions about the long-standing relationship we, as a species, have had with this wonderful food will be quelled by the painstakingly researched and recently published book on this very subject by Paul Kindstedt, Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and Its Place in Western Civilization. Join Sasha Davies as she takes us on an intriguing journey exploring Kindstedt’s inspiration for this project and what his findings might tell us about where our relationship with cheese is headed, or at the very least, what we might learn from the rich history he has captured in his writings.

Succession planning can be a sensitive topic loaded with questions which are difficult to answer. What are my options? How will I know I am making the right decision? How will these decisions impact me and/or my family? These are questions you may ask as you embark on the journey to discover the best plan of action for your business. This session will provide an in-depth look at cheesemakers who have or have had a succession plan in place and will help to answer some of the hard questions that come along with this topic. Steve Tate will discuss succession planning involving people beyond the immediate family, and Louis Grubb will discuss family-oriented succession planning. Moderator Andrew Branan will cover everything in between, including some of the technical aspects of succession planning.

Everyone jumps at a bargain, right? Well, not necessarily, at least not when it comes to artisan cheese. If you have been left wondering how your carefully constructed promotion fell short of expectations, this is the session for you. Join this open dialogue between all participants in the cheese chain to learn about what it takes to create successful promotions.

“Success without a plan is just an accident.” All too often small businesses lose focus, direction, and profits unnecessarily. Most major organizations avoid this downfall by developing and then living a strategic plan. Debi specializes in assisting leaders, owners, and entrepreneurs representing all sizes of businesses, organizations, and groups to create a strategic blueprint that insures their future success. In this session you will: Learn the basic elements of a strategic plan; work on your own plan and be able to practice the process; utilize a worksheet identifying your own S.W.O.T. (Strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities); explore the benefits of defining your vision (what your business is at its best), your mission (how you achieve the vision), and your values (why you do what you do) and actually work on a draft of this or evaluate your existing vision, mission, and values through this process; and, gain the tools to develop and evaluate your brand words, brand messaging, and your “elevator speech” (how you summarize your business in a concise way that attracts potential customers/clients).

This “deep dive” will catapult your business results through a creative and disciplined process. Debi’s high energy and interactive style will engage you while giving you solid techniques to take you and your business to the highest potential.

Meet the people behind your favorite cheeses! This popular event is your chance to sample America’s finest cheeses and speak directly to the experts – the cheesemakers themselves. Come hungry and ready for delicious cheese! Cash bar.

Enjoy a relaxing night of North Carolina style barbecue and southern hospitality. Two-step to live country music with your friends under the stars; sample local food and drink; and get a taste for the slow pace of a hot summer night in Raleigh.

The Cellars at Jasper Hill ages cheese for an on-site cheese-house, as well as for off-site artisans from across northern VT. The inherent disconnect between producer and cave space, organizationally and in proximity, means that Jasper Hill affineurs need to be vigilant and communicate clearly with producers. Different tools are used to assess the quality and progress of each batch, even before it arrives in the building, and until the day it leaves the facility for market. Some of these tools are quantitative (have hard numbers or data assigned – ph curves and instrumental readings) and other tools are a bit more qualitative and reliant on organoleptic or sensory analysis, specifically spider graphing. This seminar will look at both sides of the process. The class will participate in this unique approach to evaluation between different styles vertically, with the same cheese at different stages of ripeness or different flavor profiles within batches of the same age. Ticket required; space is limited.

Inspiring the next generation to join the world of cheese can seem daunting. More and more people are leaving the farm to seek less “hands-on” positions. Work in our industry is not easy and making it look attractive to the up-and-coming workforce, while being honest about the level of commitment required, is a challenge we all face. Yet, there are organizations who have found ways to recruit, hire, and train new people successfully. Join us to hear both retailers and cheesemakers share their ideas about how to entice people into various aspects of the cheese industry as part of their long-term career plans. Plus, you’ll hear first-hand what it’s like to go through the “apprentice” phase and come out a true cheese professional in the end.

Join this dynamic panel to get an in-depth look at how decision making at one end impacts the entire cheese chain from cheesemaker to distributor to retailer to consumer. A representative from the FDA will be on hand to provide an overview of current risk assessments, changing requirements, and results of inspection activity including the impact of these on regulations. Dr. Catherine Donnelly and Cathy Strange will provide the nexus between FDA regulations and cheesemakers, distributors, and retailers dealing with recalls with an emphasis on the implications and consequences. This panel, moderated by Bill Graves, will take a proactive look at how to mitigate cheese safety risks now and in the future. This session is supported by Dairy Farmers of Oregon.

Let’s make the most of our 15 minutes by increasing it to 30 days — that’s the goal of American Cheese Month. We know these products inside and out, and this month-long promotion each October is our chance to share that knowledge with as many people as possible through tastings, classes, and events. Whether you participated last year or have big plans for this year’s celebration, this session will give you actionable information and support.

North Carolina’s bounty of great foods encompasses beer, bread, cheese, and cured meats. This tasting workshop introduces a representative group of products from across the state. Speakers will describe ways to pair the foods in traditional and contemporary combinations and describe the production histories from the colonial period to the present. Ticket required; space is limited. This session repeats at 2:00 pm.

Ari Weinzweig, co-founding partner of Zingerman’s, presents Zingerman’s 12 Natural Laws of Business – the not-so-secret “secrets” behind sustainable, successful businesses. Come if you’re an owner or key manager of a business looking for inspiration and a positive path to organizational greatness. Leave with personal insights, real life examples from Zingerman’s and a host of tools and ideas that you can immediately put to use!

Ari Weinzweig’s appearance is made possible by Zingerman’s Community of Businesses.

As the seasons change throughout the year, so too does the milk used to produce cheese. As a cheesemaker, it’s important to understand how changes in the herd’s feed, breeding cycle, and environmental factors like temperature and humidity can affect the milk and change the quality of the cheeses being produced. Join this exceptional panel of cheesemakers as they discuss how to increase the effectiveness of the cheesemaking process by demonstrating the various methods for seasonal adjustment in milk treatment. Areas addressed will be culture inoculation rates, set temperature, rennet amount, flocculation, and optional use of calcium chloride.

If you’ve spent more than 20 minutes behind a wall of cheese you’ve been in the line of fire for the uncomfortable questions about cheese and fill-in-the-blank with any of the following: pregnancy, salt, cholesterol, environmental collapse, animal welfare, obesity… we could go on. Need help understanding how to respond with diplomacy while providing enough information to satisfy but not overwhelm? Join this panel of experienced mongers who will share their experiences and arm you with something better than answers – information and the tools to develop your own responses.

Be a part of this inviting, interactive, and informative discussion as the ACS Board of Directors and members participate in a meaningful dialogue about relevant issues in the industry. Kurt Dammeier of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and Christine Hyatt, ACS President, will moderate this question-and-answer session. Everyone will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue. Ask questions, share your thoughts, and walk away with a better understanding of the current and future path of our industry. Please note: Lunch will be served from 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm. The Town Hall Meeting begins promptly at 12:30 pm. Additional theater seating is available for those who arrive late.

North Carolina’s bounty of great foods encompasses beer, bread, cheese, and cured meats. This tasting workshop introduces a representative group of products from across the state. Speakers will describe ways to pair the foods in traditional and contemporary combinations and describe the production histories from the colonial period to the present. Ticket required; space is limited. This is a repeat of the 10:30 am session.

This session will examine Agri-mark’s initiative to improve traceability within the supply chain, including business process changes as well as technology improvements. Although Agri-mark will present what they have learned from a mid-size dairy cooperative perspective, these findings can easily be scaled to smaller dairy and manufacturing facilities.

As the only third party certification that guarantees outdoor, pasture-based management on an independent family farm, Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) and has become the most highly regarded food label for animal welfare and sustainability. Along with AWA-certified farmers, Prodigal Farm’s Kathryn Spann and AWA Program Director Andrew Gunther will discuss increasing market demand for high welfare, sustainable, and pasture-raised products, and how using the AWA label can differentiate your products in the marketplace. The session will also cover AWA requirements for certification and the program’s free farmer and retailer support services.

• THE LAW AND PRACTICALITIES OF FOOD SAFETY IN THE RETAIL WORKPLACE (Retailer/Distributor)Jason Foscolo, LLC, The Food Law Attorney Courtenay High Tyler, Earth Fare
Hans Kunisch, Green Leaf

Learn how to stay afloat and safe in this sea of food safety acronyms. What are all these plans and, more important, what are the questions to walk through in your business that will lead you to the development of an adequate and rigorous food safety plan? Join Courtenay Tyler from Earth Fare and Jason Foscolo a food law attorney to learn how to develop your plan without losing sight of the underlying goal: keeping people – customers and coworkers – safe.

Join your friends and colleagues for a champagne toast to celebrate ACS’s 2012 competition winners before you head out for a night in Raleigh with many area restaurants and breweries featuring American cheese focused menus, dishes, and specials!

Champagne will be provided; a cash bar will also be available.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4

Come sample yogurts, cultured products, butters, and fresh unripened cheeses from the 2012 Judging & Competition. Winners will be highlighted, and you’ll have a chance to enjoy these delicious products with a variety of breads and condiments. A continental breakfast with a nod to ACS’s 2012 winners!

It’s no secret how dramatically the ACS Judging & Competition has grown over the years. Receiving, handling, and judging entries is a detailed and complex process, examined and fine-tuned each year to both ensure the quality and condition of cheeses and to provide the fairest possible judging. Join ACS Judging & Competition Committee members as they walk you through the action that takes place from the time a cheese or cultured dairy product arrives at the loading dock until it’s sitting in front of a judging team. Then, experience first-hand what judges are looking for; understand the different roles of the aesthetic and technical judges; learn the criteria, scoring structures, and terminology; and take a hand at sampling and scoring some cheese yourself! Ticket required; space is limited.

Cheese has been maligned for several decades. Some of the first questions that arise from customers are those surrounding nutrition and food safety. Increasingly, there is compelling evidence in support of cheese as a near-perfect food. This session will prepare you to answer some of the difficult questions consumers look to us as cheese professionals to answer. Join this panel of experts focused on nutritional components and safety concerns as they dispel some of the myths and misinformation surrounding cheese.

Join culture and adjunct connoisseur Rex Infanger for an in-depth look at tools in the cheesemaker’s arsenal beyond starters and secondary cultures. Learn about ‘protective’ cultures designed to kill undesirable bacteria, and adjuncts like nisin and lysozyme that have great potential in cheesemaking. Rex will discuss how these products work, which have organic certification, and the impacts they can have on the aroma, flavor development, texture, and rind formation in your cheeses.

How many “likes” does it take to increase your annual sales? What makes “cents” when allocating resources to keep up appearances in the Twittersphere? If you are enthusiastically, or reluctantly, participating in social media platforms, and you are not sure how to determine whether or not your efforts are working, or that your work is worth the effort, then this session is a must attend. Hear from industry colleagues who are willing to give you a peek behind the proverbial curtain and share insights about evaluating social media programs.

Cheese has long been heralded as a perfect pair with wine and beer, but coffee is gaining credibility as a delicious companion for cheese. One of the key contributors to burgeoning appreciation for coffee’s compatibility with foods is that, as a culture, we are learning more about how coffee is grown, roasted, and brewed and how adjustments in any of those steps can yield different flavors and textures on the palette. Come and learn from coffee experts about what it takes to create the flavors and textures that are unique to each coffee, and how to apply that knowledge so you can create outstanding pairings with cheese. Ticket required; space is limited.

The three cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill are collectively known as “The Triangle,” anchored by their respective – and respected – institutions of higher learning: North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Join this lively panel as they discuss the journey of how the region became a food stronghold and what lead to the “rise” of food in The Triangle. These experts will teach how the lessons learned here can be applied to other areas of the country.

Do you have a burning question you are struggling to answer on your own? You’re not alone. This session was created to allow members to support one another in tackling challenging questions. Unlike other conference sessions, Hot Topic empowers attendees to guide the discussions. Yes, that’s right, discussions. Each attendee comes prepared with one question. Attendees will vote to select the top ten questions and then break into groups for discussions around those ten questions. Join us for 90 minutes of unscripted dialogue on subjects that matter most to you.

Following up on the hard work completed by members of the Certification Committee and industry experts, ACS members are working on fleshing out the ACS Body of Knowledge – a compendium of the knowledge areas that professionals in the cheese industry must draw upon in their everyday work, from the time that cheese leaves the producer to the moment it reaches the consumer. Developing this educational resource will require input from individuals across the industry. Join us to learn about our progress and how you can participate in this project.

A poet once said, “cheese is milk’s leap toward immortality.” The same can be said for preserves. The art of preserving food, whether it be milk, fruits, vegetables, or anything in between, has a rich history. Join local preserve producers who will share their stories of how they mastered the craft of preserving foods and a local cheesemonger who will be on-hand to help marry the two products for an enticingly sweet and savory experience. Ticket required; space is limited.

This conference will see the delivery of the first-ever Certified Cheese Professional™ Exam. This session will outline the educational opportunities and resources that the ACS has put in place for those wishing to prepare the next exam. Presenters will outline the history of the program’s development and review the candidate eligibility qualifications required to take the exam. The Body of Knowledge, online cheese educator database, exam bibliography, conference planning, and future educational programming combine to form a grid for professional development available to candidates. Each of these elements will be explained, and participants will have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion of how ACS can further professional development for its membership.

Raw milk cheese has been under scrutiny in the U.S. since the advent of pasteurization. Join this panel for an exploration, evaluation, and hands-on application of some of the various types of technologies available for on-farm testing. Dr. DJ D’Amico will address potential indicator organisms and related testing methods; Marianne Smukowski will shed light on proper hygienic practices and ways to maintain good safety standards; and Kendall Russell will tie things together as he shapes the discussion from a farmstead cheesemaker’s perspective and offers insight into how he’s incorporated certain types of testing into his own HACCP plan. This group will consider the benefits and challenges an early warning system offers regarding the presence of indicator organisms in production facilities and how this activity would fit in with HACCP and GMP protocols.

Do you have a burning question you are struggling to answer on your own? You’re not alone. ACS has created this session to allow members to support one another in tackling challenging questions. Unlike other conference sessions, Hot Topic empowers attendees to guide the discussions. Yes, that’s right, discussions. Each attendee comes prepared with one question. Attendees will vote to select the top ten questions and then break into groups for facilitated discussions around those ten questions. Join us for 90 minutes of unscripted dialogue on subjects that matter most to you.

Come observe the official ceremony as this year’s batch of cheese world luminaries is inducted into the New World Chapter of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers – Confrerie de Saint-Uguzon. Founded in the 1969, the Guilde has chapters and members around the world. Membership is by sponsorship from a current member only. Cash bar available.

Admission is included for Full Conference Registration holders and Saturday Day Pass holders. Additional tickets are available for $50 for guests of ACS members, and $55 for the general public. Between 6:30 and 7:00 pm, the Festival is open only to ACS Members.

Sample more than 1,400 cheeses – including winners of the 2012 Judging & Competition – along with an incredible array of gourmet foods at this annual cheese extravaganza. You’ll enjoy the best that ACS members have to offer, along with samples of award-winning wines, beers, and specialty foods. Take away a commemorative wine glass, and come with cash so you can pick up a cheese “grab bag” on your way home. Cheese grab bags are available for $25, with all proceeds benefiting the American Cheese Education Foundation and scholarships for cheesemakers. Cash and carry only!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5

ANNUAL CHEESE SALE
11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Support the American Cheese Education Foundation’s Cheesemaker Scholarship Fund!

Love what you tasted at the Festival of Cheese? Don’t miss the annual Cheese Sale for your chance to score a bargain on cheeses that scored big in our 2012 ACS Competition. Open to both attendees and the local public, this is your opportunity to buy the best cheeses made in North America at a great price. Proceeds from the Cheese Sale benefit the American Cheese Education Foundation. Cash is preferred. Most cheeses $5/lb.